The United States has imposed strict economic sanctions on eight individuals and entities—including a prominent Indian businessman and an explosives manufacturing company based in Chhattisgarh—for their alleged involvement in supplying military-grade materials that have fueled Sudan’s devastating civil war.
The punitive measures were announced on June 26, 2026, by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). According to American authorities, the targeted procurement and recruitment networks have actively enabled both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to intensify a conflict that has caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
The Allegations Against the Indian Firm and Its CEO
Among those blacklisted are Raipur-based businessman Alok Choudhari and the company he heads as Chief Executive Officer, SBL Energy Limited (also operating under the name Amin Explosive Private Limited).
- Massive Munitions Pipeline: US authorities allege that since 2024, SBL Energy Limited has delivered more than 200 shipments of explosives and explosive-related materials to Sudan-based Target Multiactivities Company Limited (TMAC).
- Arming the Sudanese Military: TMAC is reportedly a front company controlled by the Defense Industries System (DIS)—Sudan’s largest state-owned defense enterprise—which maintains the arsenal for the SAF.
- End Use in Air Strikes: The US Treasury Department asserts that the explosives exported by the Indian firm were directly integrated into bombs deployed by the Sudanese Armed Forces in combat operations.
Broader Transnational Crackdown
The latest US actions hit multiple global networks tied to the conflict, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives since April 2023. Alongside the Indian entities, the sanctions package targeted:
- Egyptian and Sudanese Procurement Shells: Firms working in tandem with TMAC to funnel weapons and raw materials into Sudan’s military infrastructure.
- A Paramilitary Recruitment Ring: A transnational network operating across Panama and Colombia, accused of illegally recruiting former Colombian military personnel to fight as foreign mercenaries alongside the rival RSF.
- Port Infrastructure Assets: Ports Engineering Company Ltd, a state-owned civil engineering firm in Port Sudan, for allegedly importing military uniforms and weapons cases for Sudanese intelligence.
Sanctions Implications
Following the announcement by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, severe financial blocks have been triggered. All assets, property, and corporate interests belonging to Alok Choudhari and SBL Energy Limited that fall within US jurisdiction or under the control of US persons have been strictly frozen.
Furthermore, international financial institutions and global businesses are barred from transacting with them, under risk of facing severe secondary US civil or criminal penalties. The United States accompanied the sanctions with an urgent call for both warring factions to agree to an immediate, unconditional three-month humanitarian truce.